dousing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of douse
as in removing
to rid oneself of (a garment) in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dousing

2 of 2

verb (2)

variants also dowsing
present participle of douse
1
as in extinguishing
to cause to cease burning douse the campfire before leaving in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wetting
to make wet the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dipping
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid douse the grapes in water to remove any grit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dousing
Verb
There’s no evidence that soaking food or dousing it with vinegar or commercial vegetable washes is enough to get rid of them. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 14 July 2026 Videos of the response show crews dousing the building with water as flames leap through the roof of the market, sending black plumes of smoke into the air. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 While the fastest way to cool them is by dousing with water, this can make quite a mess on your patio. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026 This gentle shade of light pink is ideal for those who love the colors of dopamine decor, but are mindful of dousing their walls in highly pigmented hues that can make the area feel small and crowded. — The Spruce, 3 July 2026 Video from the scene showed firefighters dousing the blaze with water as thick black smoke rose from the burning pipeline. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 Fire officials have also emphasized the importance of having hoses on hand, and dousing fireworks in a bucket of water after they’ve been used, even overnight, to prevent accidental reignition. — Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026 Firefighters have also isolated lithium-ion batteries and have hoselines dousing them. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 20 June 2026 McGill was convicted of murder after dousing a couple in gasoline and lighting them on fire in 2002. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dousing
  1. removing
  2. extinguishing
  3. wetting
  4. dipping
  5. drowning
  6. immersing
  7. washing
  8. flooding
Verb
  • Leaders add value by asking better questions, widening perspectives, connecting people, allocating resources and removing the obstacles that slow great work.
    — Brent McHugh, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The state added women to the workforce without removing men from their role as sole providers.
    — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • Crews were making progress on extinguishing the fire after moving to defensive mode.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • After extinguishing the fire, emergency crews discovered the eight victims inside the residence.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of extinguishing
Verb
  • The mountain thunderstorms are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday but should be accompanied by wetting rains that dampen fire risk, with about a tenth of an inch of precipitation, Molina said.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Water in the morning deeply at the base of the plant using a soaker hose, avoiding wetting the leaves to prevent fungal diseases.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2026
Definition of wetting
Verb
  • Perhaps not for the fainthearted, this involves being gently slapped with oak branches in the sauna before dipping into a bracing cold plunge (rinse and repeat).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
  • More footage shot inside the disco shows the Real Madrid hunk grabbing Exposito, dipping her down and giving her a big kiss in front of everyone.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of dipping
Verb
  • Since Trigg's death, Emilie Kiser has used her platform to advocate for drowning prevention.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Tony tries drowning his sorrows at the bar of the Flagship, a no-frills seafood eatery run by a man identified only as Chef (Antonio Banderas).
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • Walking, hiking, or simply immersing yourself in nature helps restore balance between the demands of everyday life and personal wellbeing.
    — Ana Morales, Vogue, 11 July 2026
  • The second involved filling a salad spinner with water and immersing the berries for one minute while stirring them by hand before draining and spinning them for 10 seconds.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Definition of immersing
Verb
  • While no produce wash—including this one, vinegar, or baking soda—can eliminate Cyclospora, thoroughly washing your produce can help reduce dirt and contamination on the surface.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 July 2026
  • The inspector noted that employees weren’t washing their hands properly and the ice from a dirty ice machine wasn’t safe for human consumption.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
Definition of washing
Verb
  • In one image, a young sitter with the Arabic word for ‘justice’ painted on her cheek gazes sensuously into the camera, while flooding the frame with wafts of smoke.
    — Michael-Oliver Harding, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • The break left a giant sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and sent about 17 million gallons of water into surrounding neighborhoods, shuttering businesses, and flooding homes and underground parking.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of flooding

Browse Nearby Words

douses
dousing
dove
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Cite this Entry

“Dousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dousing. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dousing

Nglish: Translation of dousing for Spanish Speakers

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